For those unfamiliar, we are an uncensored community for fans and lovers of the daytime genre. We have a no-holds-barred atmosphere in regards to the shows, writers, actors etc. but we do not allow member bashing in any form.

You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.

The following tapes are available at TVDays.com: 30 years of Saving TV History on DVD (http://www.tvdays.com/)

The Soaps page is http://www.tvdays.com/soaps.htm but I have yet to figure out to download them or to order the DVDs. I am going to write the guy but if someone figures it out in the meantime let me and others know. The DVD's sound very good for seeing early soaps.

SUDSY T.V. VOLUME # ONE (approx 60 min)

THE GUIDING LIGHT

Richard Grant and his wife Laura agonize over the murder charge pending over their daughter-in-law Cathy, while their son Dick does the honorable thing, standing by his wife despite the disapproval of his mother and most of the town.

Meanwhile, a grand jury hears testimony on the case from Alice Graham. Note: Sharp-eyed viewers will spot veteran character actor Pat Hingle (from Hang 'Em High and a dozen other Clint Eastwood pictures) as a member of the grand jury.

Sponsor commercials include Duz detergent ("Duz does more than get your clothes clean") and Ivory soap.

LOVE OF LIFE

The story of "Vanessa Dale (Peggy McKay) and her struggle for human dignity," Love Of Life focuses on the conflicts within Vanessa's family, especially with her sister Meg Harper (Jean McBride).

In this episode, 8-year-old Beany Harper (Dennis Parnell) has run away from his boarding school with his friend Gil, and plans to get his father out of the sanitarium and run away to Alaska with him--while Vanessa and Meg sort out their recriminations, and the bad-tempered headmaster Mr. Slocum tries to keep Beany's disappearance out of the newspapers, friends of the family begin searching for the boys--but Gil ends up in mortal danger while they are out on the road hitch-hiking.

Sponsor commercials include Anacin ("a mixture of ingredients, exactly like a doctor's prescription"), Heet linament, and a live appearance by Chef Boy-Ar-Dee, who talks about his spaghetti dinner with meat sauce.

THE GUIDING LIGHT

Dick Grant confers with his minister, Dr. Keeler, about the charge made by his mother that he and his wife Cathy are not legally married, and vows that he will not ask for a divorce. Meanwhile, Cathy talks with a neighbor boy, Tim, and learns a few things from him about right and wrong, and loyalty.

Sponsor commercials include Duz detergent and Ivory soap. (ONE)

LOVE OF LIFE

Beany Harper is back home, but is furious with his father Charlie (John Graham) over the break-up of his parents' marriage, and also rejects the offer of friendship from his aunt Vanessa Dale (Peggy McKay).

Charlie and Vanessa talk about their troubles while on a train back to New York City.

Arthur decides to leave the town of Henderson and the woman he loves, Joanne, but his friend Nathan (George Petrie, of television's Honeymooners and, more recently, Herman's Head) tries to talk him out of it at the local tavern.

Judith Lodge (Virginia Robinson) plans her revenge against Paul Raven (Richard Coogan), her ex-husband, and recalls the incident eight years earlier that led to her vendetta against him; in flashback, we see the confrontation, when Judith's father revealed to Paul that his daughter was pregnant, that the man she'd planned to marry had backed out, and his offer to make it worth Paul's while if he would give his grandson a name.

Hal Craig (Steve Gethers) has been thwarted by Paul Raven (Richard Coogan) and his wife Vanessa (Bonnie Bartlett) in his plans to take over Barrowsville, but he plans to get even with them both, with help from his friend Aldin Miller.

Meanwhile, Paul and Vanessa are finalizing plans to adopt a young orphaned girl who has been living with them, and Paul tries to ease her mind about Hal Craig.

Peter Ames (Peter Hobbs) is very worried about his daughter Susan (Mary Foskett), who is opposing his investigation of a scandal in the local public schools because it may hurt her (TWO) husband's business.

Meanwhile, unscrupulous political boss Frank Bennett (Robert Fitzsimmons) plans to protect himself from the prying of the local newspaper and inquisitive parents. Susan demands that her parents move her sister Amy out of public school and into private school to help end the conflict with Bennett, but they--and Amy--refuse to stop the investigation.

Commercials include a public service announcement on heart diseases set to Peter Gunn-style music, George Gobel in a promotion for his own television show, and Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale of Perry Mason, stepping out of character for a few seconds to promote the Mason show.

Interesting note: The Secret Storm was a relative rarity among television shows for having a woman director, Gloria Monty.

SUDSY T.V. VOLUME # THREE (approx 60 min)

THE BENNETTS

Wayne Bennett (Don Gibson) and his wife Nancy (Eloise Kummer) are worried about a friend whose marrage is in trouble, while their neighbor, eccentric artist Blaney Cobb, and his wife Meg, look with eager anticipation to their forthcoming adoption of an 8-year-old girl.

Special bonus: Veteran actor Robert Armstrong (King Kong, Mighty Joe Young) hosts a commercial appealing for donations to the March of Dimes.

REHEARSAL TIME

The late Charles Lampkin (Frank's Place, Arch Oboler's Five) is the pianist and accompanist in this early '50s music showcase.

This episode features singer Murray Wagner doing a plug and jingle for Sealy orthopedic mattresses, guest vocalist Dick Vine in a production number built around "September Song," and a performance of "Shine On Harvest Moon" by the entire cast of singers and dancers.

HAWKINS FALLS

An early NBC soap opera depicting life in "small town America," Hawkins Falls (subtitled "A television novel") focuses on kindly, dedicated Dr. Floyd Corey (Maurice Copeland), his wife Lona (Bernadine Flynn), and their friends and neighbors.

In this episode, Lona tries to find out from family friend Mitch Fredericks (Jim Bannon) why Floyd hasn't been looking well, while Calvin Sperry (Art Van Harvey), the counterman at the soda fountain, shows off the pictures he got on his recent vacation, where he ended up judging a beauty contest instead of hunting and fishing.

SUDSY T.V. VOLUME # FOUR (approx 60 min)

GENERAL HOSPITAL - A classic 1967 episode from one of the most respected and beloved of daytime dramas.

Meg Bentley (Patricia Breslin) becomes engaged, but amid all of the joy for her, a new complication enters the world of General Hospital in the guise of the incoming chief administrator, who is troubled by the fact that Dr. Phil Brewer (Peter Hansen) and nurse Jessie Brewer (Emily McLaughlin) continue to work together on the same staff even though they are divorced; and Jessie recalls the trouble between Polly Prentice (Kathy Farrar) and her father, growing out of Polly's interest in one of her married teachers.

THE ROAD OF LIFE - Wheelchair-bound Sybil is confronted by her father over the blackmail money that she has paid to Mooch Peters, and the fact that the family's finances cannot stand too much more extravagance of that kind.

Her father is looking forward to an inheritance that is supposed to come their way--until he finds that the estate he is hoping to inherit is still unsettled, and that another heir to the deceased has turned up. Veteran character actor Charles Dingle (Lady of Burlesque, State of the Union) plays Sybil's ambitious father.

Sponsor commercials include spots by Michael of the Waldorf plugging Dreme Shampoo, and Crisco Oil (the answer to a perfect pie crust).

SEARCH FOR TOMORROW - Arthur Barron has just been through emergency surgery, and his family nervously awaits the doctor's report. Joe and Marge confront the fact that Arthur might not recover, and the doctor advises his family that a recovery would be a minor miracle.

Sponsor commercials include Gleem toothpaste, Shasta Shampoo, Joy dishwashing liquid, Spic and Span, and, as a special bonus, a promotional spot for Joanne Sings, a Columbia Records album by Mary Stuart performing the songs that she was seen doing on SEARCH FOR TOMORROW.

BOB HOPE SPECIAL (approx 50 min)

A 1952 show for the Navy, featuring special guests Frankie Laine ("Your Cheatin' Heart") and Rosemary Clooney ("Honey"), and Bess Meyerson.

Hope entertains the sailors aboard ship, telling lots of topical jokes (including a few about Harry Truman leaving office), and appears in two comedy sketches (among them a murder mystery parody), as well as giving a plug for the then-new picture HERE COME THE GIRLS. The closing number is, of course, "Thanks For the Memory."

(FIVE) HAWKINS FALLS

Andy is planning to jump, and Dr. Floyd Corey seems unconcerned. At the same time, Mitch Fredericks is chewed out by his fiancee Sue Riga (Toni Gilman) for having started the hoax in the first place and convincing Andy that he does have psychic powers. Floyd seems calm and unconcerned, until he has to leave for the hospital, and Lona replaces him on the rooftop talking to Andy.

SUDSY T.V. VOLUME # 5 (approx 60 min)

HAWKINS FALLS

Hawkins Falls, a "novel for television," filmed in Chicago in the mid-1950's, tells the story of "life in small town U.S.A." from the point of view of Dr. Floyd Corey (Maurice Copeland), his wife Lona (Bernardine Flynn), and their friends.

In this episode, Dr. Corey is deluged by inquiries from the press for his statement that self-styled clairvoyant Andy Anderson (Arthur Peterson) does not have psychic powers, and his friendship with newspaper editor Mitch Fredericks (Jim Bannon) is strained because of their disagreement over Anderson; out-of-town reporter Myra Hendricks (Myra Martin) starts to look into Mitch's background. Meanwhile, Andy decides to prove that he does have psychic powers.

HAWKINS FALLS

Andy Anderson (Arthur Peterson) decides to prove once-and-for-all that he has psychic powers by jumping off the roof of a building and surviving, exactly as he did in his dream.

Meanwhile, Dr. Floyd Corey (Maurice Copeland) warns Mitch Fredericks (Jim Bannon) that rival newspaperwoman Myra Hendricks (Myra Martin) is looking into his background before coming to Hawkins Falls. This episode features Brigid Daly Bazlen, who later played the part of Salome in KING OF KINGS and Walter Brennan's treacherous daughter in HOW THE WEST WAS WON, as Floyd and Lona Corey's daughter Nellie.

HAWKINS FALLS

Dr. Corey (Maurice Copeland) doubts that Andy Anderson will actually jump off of a rooftop as he has vowed to, but Mitch Fredericks is furious for his not taking the threat more seriously. Meanwhile, Millie (Ros Twohey) and Lona (Bernardine Flynn) try and talk Andy out of it. Floyd confronts Andy and tries to reason with him, to no avail.

SUDSY T.V. VOLUME # SIX (approx 60 min)

HAWKINS FALLS

Lona Corey (Bernardine Flynn) and Mitch comiserate over the failure of the Hawkins Falls fair, and she gets to know Mitch's knew girlfriend Audrey (Rusty Sammon), who is a little young and immature.

HAWKINS FALLS

Lona Corey is preparing an Easter egg hunt with her friend Millie (Ros Twohey) when a car driven by out-of-towner Gary Minden (William Adler) crashes into Sue's front porch. Despite Gary's protests, Floyd convinces him to be treated at a hospital.

HAWKINS FALLS

Lona is getting concerned about Floyd's weariness, while Millie begins to find a new romantic interest in life, in the guise of Gary Minden. Meanwhile, Mitch tries to salvage his newspaper business with new advertisers and customers, including a new ad from the local candy store. Floyd reveals that he is suffering from heart strain, and has been warned to cut back his practice, but he doesn't feel that he can.

HAWKINS FALLS

Floyd starts to tell Lona about his heart problem, but can't bring himself do it. At the same time, Millie and Gary Minden are getting to know and like each other, and Gary reveals that he would like to stay in Hawkins Falls.